Joely Fisher's birth on October 29, 1967, caused somewhat of a scandal, since she was the love child of a torrid affair between legendary crooner Eddie Fisher and acting and recording star Connie Stevens. By the time Fisher was two years old, her parents split because her father's drug problem had spiraled out of control. After the divorce, the young girl often tagged along on her mom's world nightclub tours and sometimes even joined her onstage. At age 16, the aspiring actress found work doing summer stock with Ohio's Kinley Players. A few years later, while attending Emerson College, Fisher decided to quit her studies and pursue acting full-time. She soon landed bit parts on "Growing Pains" and "Blossom," as well as in films such as the 1994 Jim Carrey comedy "The Mask." Although Fisher had yet to land a starring role and had been turned down for 30 TV pilots, she kept pursuing her dreams of stardom.
brAt the age of 26, Fisher's persistence finally paid off. She snagged a major part on the sitcom "Ellen" as Paige Clark, Ellen's kooky friend. The show debuted in the fall of 1994 and became a bona fide hit. It also made TV history as the first series centered on a lesbian character. Fisher was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her supporting role. Her personal life also blossomed, in 1995, when she fell in love with cinematographer Christopher Duddy. The couple married four months after they first met.
After "Ellen" was canceled, Fisher headed to the stage, scoring the coveted lead in the national production of "Cabaret," which later moved to Broadway. In the spring of 2001, Fisher decided to combine her personal and professional lives. While she was pregnant with her first child, she staged her own one-woman cabaret show, called "From Here to Maternity." Daughter Skylar Grace was born on June 14, 2001.
But motherhood hasn't kept Fisher from the small screen. She has appeared in a number of sitcoms, including "Baby Bob." Fisher has managed to successfully balance her singing, dancing and acting dreams with a career, a child and a happy marriage.
Milestones
2006 Cast as one half of a middle aged couple in the Fox comedy, "Til Death" (Fox)
2005 Had a recurring role on "Desperate Housewives" (ABC) as Nina Fletcher, Lynette's boss (Felicity Huffman)
2002 Starred in the CBS midseason sitcom "Baby Bob"
2001 Portrayed the recurring role of title character's ex-wife in "Danny", a fall CBS sitcom starring Daniel Stern; series cancelled after only two airings
2000 Replaced Susan Egan in the Broadway production of "Cabaret"
2000 Had four-episode recurring stint on The WB's "Grosse Pointe"
1999 Starred opposite Matthew Broderick in "Inspector Gadget"
1995 Made Broadway debut as Rizzo in revival of "Grease"
1994 Feature acting debut, "I'll Do Anything"
1994 - 1998 TV series debut as a regular, "Ellen"; joined show in its second season
1994 TV-movie debut, "The Companion" (USA Network)
1990 Appeared in the recurring role of Sally Garner on several episodes of the ABC sitcom, "Growing Pains"
1988 TV debut, "Bob Hope's USO Christmas From the Persian Gulf--Around the World in Eight Days"
1980 Made stage debut at age 12 singing a song with her mother Connie Stevens (date approximate)
Raised in Los Angeles
Headlined touring company of the stage musical "Cabaret"
